Cage specific loss of litter training

[DebMcD]

Hi, I am a big fan of this site and have perused the forums many times to get answers to behavioral issues so I am hoping that some of you seasoned bunny owners out there may be able to help with a problem I am having.

Quick background summary: Bought a male dutch just over a year ago who was a baby at the time. He is neutered. Adopted a female mini lop in the summer to keep him company. She is spayed. Bonding felt traumatic at the time to me but in reality I suspect it was fairly textbook. Within 2 months they were loved up, never fight, and are caged together in a large dog crate with extra levels. They have free roam of the first floor level of our house for 12+ hours most days. He is very affectionate and friendly. She is very skittish but I worked hard to build a relationship with her and felt we were doing ok. We never have wet accidents outside the cage (despite the large area in which they are permitted to roam) and only very occasional pellet left in a favorite area, mainly by him.

Then just under a month ago she got a UTI. I ended up having to give 3 different meds and urgent care by mouth for the best part of a week, which needless to say she didn’t enjoy. Then she got very soiled rear quarters and I had to take her back to the vet a couple of times and give her several butt baths myself. During this time she was confined to the cage while the male bun was allowed out (given the state of her backside it would have been unsanitary to allow her out). Our relationship took a big step backwards and if she even saw me coming would run and hide. It is slowly getting better but her soiling of the cage is driving me insane. It is a big cage and I have 2 big litter trays in it that clearly get used by both buns. However, she has taken, in the last 3 weeks, to urinating and copiously pooing right by the door of the cage. The strange this is, this only happens at night. If I am out for several hours in the day then I put the buns away in their cage. The behavior never happens then. Only at night. The cage is a disgraceful mess each morning (I only have litter in the litter trays, not the floor of the cage), which can also mean their paws are not that clean when they want to be let out (more hers’ than his). I am also noticing sprayed urine on the wall next to the cage. I have never caught the cuplrit and can’t think how its happening – the geographical extent of the spray is huge yet there doesn’t seem to be any obvious pooling or drips anywhere.

WHAT IS GOING ON?! This is a very deliberate act on her part because she doesn’t do it outside the cage at all. I used to have a food bowl by the door but moved it, thinking maybe that was contributing – but the behavior has continued. I am at my wits end as it means I have a huge mess to clean up every morning – plus the cage doesn’t smell so good. She IS using the litter trays for both urinating and pellets so its not as if she doesn’t understand that that is where she is supposed to go. Any advice gratefully received…

[Beka27]

First off, welcome! I’m glad you’ve officially joined up and I look forward to hearing more about your bunnies!

Hmmm… Has anything changed other than her UTI? Do you know that the UTI is fully cleared up? Have you done a full cage disinfection since she got better?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Welcome to you!

I think I would first rule out any possible UTI (agreed with Pam) before assuming it’s behavioral.

[Sarita]

I wonder if you need a larger cage – I’m not sure how big a large dog crate is but even 2 small buns need plenty of space without being on top of one another and with all the things that you have to put in the cage to make it livable.

[DebMcD]

Thanks for your suggestions! I doubt its still UTI related though as she is showing no other symptoms at all. The area being used is not random – its very specifically one of the front corners of the cage. She (Amelia) is being pretty precise about it. I have never caught her doing it but I have to assume it is her as all the droppings on top of it are her’s (her droppings are about twice the size of his so its easy to tell the culprit!). 

I would also be surprised if the issue is cage size. It is an XL dog crate – 4ft long by 3ft wide plus an extra shelf that is 3 ft by 2 ft. I will add a further shelf but won’t get to that till after Xmas. There is plenty of space for them to move around and for both to completely lie out flat without being on top of each other – or even on the same level! I have gone through various litter tray set ups in the cage, trying to get something that works for them and me. At the moment there is one large (they can easily both fit in it at the same time) highbacked cat litter tray on the ground level and one fairly large (loads of room for one but would be a squeeze with both) on the upper level. Initially I only had the ground level one but then Amelia seemed to start hanging out in there and using it as more of a bed (its underneath the shelf and it has high sides so I think she likes the feeling of security). It is still used as a litter tray but seems to be more of a secondary one. The one they use the most is on the upper level and I was forced to add it because they were peeing out of the back of the cage. They don’t do that anymore – they use the tray. I really don’t want to have to put a 3rd tray right by the door of the cage. That just seems like overkill.

Having said she only ever pees by the door at night I have just come home having been out all morning (it is early afternoon) and there is a puddle in the corner by the door again.

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